GMOA calls for identification of isolation units in all hospitals

As patients are being diagnosed for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, there should be increased attention on the capabilities of hospitals to isolate patients, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) said.

GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge addressing a press conference in Colombo said that 17 hospitals have been identified as treatment centres for suspected coronavirus patients by the Ministry of Health.

“More than 10 suspected coronavirus patients are being monitored at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital (NIDH). Nine of these patients are being kept in isolation rooms. The NIDH has only 18 such isolation units. If required only nine more patients can be accommodated in the remaining isolation rooms,” he said.

However, in comparison to other hospitals identified as treatment centres across the island, the NIDH is in a positive situation, he noted. "The Anuradhapura Hospital can only accommodate four isolated patients. What the hospital has is, in fact, two separate cubicles and not proper isolation units, meaning one cubicle will contain two patients in isolation. The chances of another person contracting the disease through such a situation therefore cannot be dismissed," Dr. Aluthge said.

He stressed that this situation causes concern as patients from Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and the surrounding areas will require treatment in this hospital. "The Karapitiya Hospital's situation is even worse," he added.

Meanwhile, the GMOA representative said that the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children has only one isolation room, which is currently under repair. He added that these issues have been brought to the attention of the President as well. "As much as the quarantine procedure is important, so is isolation. It is crucial that isolation units are identified at each hospital. Suspected coronavirus patients cannot be admitted to a ward as it will create more patients within a hospital,” Dr. Aluthge explained.

Alternative isolation areas should be therefore identified promptly, the professional body urged. “We were recently made aware that certain facilities in the Anuradhapura Kidney Hospital would be made use of to treat patients. Other hospitals too should follow suit in a manner that doesn't disrupt other hospital activities. This development should be their primary focus,” they stressed.

"We urge these hospitals to be provided with the necessary facilities in order to provide patients with comprehensive care needed in this situation. However, we've been notified that the Polonnaruwa General Hospital too has received patients. We have learned that these hospitals have still not been provided with the necessary facilities to care for COVID-19 patients," Dr. Aluthge said.

The representative also said that only 20,000 face masks are available for hospital personnel at the treatment facilities in the Kalutara District. With the influx of patients to hospitals at this time, over the next four to five days, this supply would dwindle, Dr. Aluthge cautioned. “There is a massive issue with regard to face masks even though we don't advise the public to wear them. However it is an important precaution especially for healthcare providers. He said that while Sri Lankan manufacturers are capable of producing 60,000 face masks per day, they are now contemplating if it is profitable to export their products with the surge in global demand. Dr. Aluthge opined that the government should intervene in order to reach a decision as to where and how the supply of face-masks would be obtained from. “In India, they have limited drug exports due to this virus. It would be advisable to implement a similar strategy, in the wake of this global health crisis” he said.

The National Infectious Diseases Hospital (NIDH) has been identified as the central hospital to handle treatment of coronavirus patients.

Meanwhile, the Colombo National Hospital, Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, Castle Street Hospital for Women, Colombo East Base Hospital, Mulleriyawa, Colombo North Teaching Hospital (TH) Ragama, Negombo District Hospital, Gampaha District General Hospital (DGH) Kandy TH, National Hospital, Kandy, Karapitiya TH, DGH Hambantota, TH Jaffna, TH Batticaloa, TH Anuradhapura, Provincial General Hospital (PGH) Kurunegala, PGH Badulla and TH Ratnapura are the remaining hospitals prepared to treat coronavirus patients. (Kalani Kumarasinghe and Yoshitha Perera)